About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Experimental Nuclear Physics for medical applications is available at the Department of Physics. The position will be a part of the Norwegian Nuclear Research Centre (NNRC).

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2024.

The fellowship period is 3 years. A fourth year may be considered with a workload of 25 % that may consist of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

Job description

One of the research focuses of the Nuclear Physics group is the application of nuclear physics for medical applications. This pertains to studies of novel production pathways for medically relevant radionuclides. Such radionuclides are used for a range of current cancer procedures, whereby the decay radiation is used for diagnostic and/or treatment purposes. Unlike external beam therapy, which is performed on predetermined sites on the patient, the biomolecules employed by targeted radionuclide therapy are attracted towards cancerous cells throughout the body. This enables the simultaneous treatment of unidentified, secondary malignant growths. In particular, this project is focused on emerging alpha-emitting radionuclides for targeted alpha therapy (TAT): an exciting new treatment modality for cancer.

This research topic has a clear societal impact and is one of the main research topics of the Norwegian Nuclear Research Centre (NNRC), which is focused on strengthening Norway's research capacity and competence in nuclear science. The project will be conducted in collaboration with the University of California—Berkeley, which is a partner within the NNRC and a long-standing collaborator of UiO. The candidate is expected to contribute to and take part in activities organised by the Centre.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Required:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in physics, with specialization in experimental nuclear physics
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• A scientific profile relevant for the nuclear structure research program as outlined above
• A solid background in scientific computing, including proficiency in Python programming
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English

Desired:

Several qualifications are considered strongly desirable and will be used in the ranking of the candidates:

• Experience with gamma-ray detectors
• Experience with data-analysis techniques relevant for extracting absolute cross sections and stacked-target experiments
• Familiarity with data analysis tools such as Curie and/or ROOT
• Experience with using nuclear-reaction codes which are commonly used to predict the reaction cross sections for medical isotope production, e.g. TALYS, TENDL, CoH, ALICE and EMPIRE

Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2024 to complete the final exam.

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

• The average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• For candidates who would like to apply for a fourth year including teaching, good knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is strongly preferred.
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. 

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position.

For more information see here.

Personal skills

• Good communication skills
• Ability to work in an international research environment
• Ability to work independently

We offer

• Salary NOK 532 200 – 575 400 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement 
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Career development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter – statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, previous positions and academic work)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records 
• Documentation of English proficiency
• List of any publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)
• Applicants who are interested in teaching need to add to this application a description of their motivation for and (if any) experience with teaching.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system (please follow the link “Apply for this job”). Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Interviews will be part of the hiring process.

The research area for the position may include technologies referred to in the Ministry's export control regulations and all candidates will be evaluated in accordance with these regulations.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

UiO has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

Contact information

For further information please contact: Professor Sunniva Siem, email: sunniva.siem@fys.uio.no

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Elin Thoresen, email: elin.thoresen@mn.uio.no

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